24.10.14

The Crystal Palace

The name Crystal Palace could refer to 3 things: 1. A founder member club of the FA
formed by groundskeepers at the Great Exhibition site at Hyde Park . The club existed from 1861-1876.2. The London based Premier League club founded in 1905.

3. The sports venue.

Here we are turning our attention to the sports venue.

Crystal Palace was the venue for the FA Cup final from 1895 -1914, 22 matches including 1 replay.

20.04.95

Aston Villa

1

0

West Bromwich Albion

42,560

Villa scored after 30 seconds.

18.04.96

The Wednesday

2

1

Wolverhampton Wanderers

48,836

Another first minute goal- Fred
Spiksley scoring the first of his brace. All the goals came in the opening 18
minutes. The story goes that Tennant, the Wolverhampton goalkeeper, was
dazed, and didn’t realise that Spiksley’s second goal had been awarded, the
ball cannoning down off the bar.

10.04.97

Aston Villa

3

2

Everton

65,891

Often referred to as one of the
great games of all time- a see saw affair with all 5 goals coming in 27
minutes before half time. Villa sealed The Double when results of League
matches played on the same day confirmed them as Champions.

16.04.98

Nottingham Forest

3

1

Derby County

62,017

An east midlands derby famous
for an error by Fryer the Derby goalkeeper.

15.04.99

Sheffield United

4

1

Derby County

73,833

With 2 3rds of the match played
Derby were 1-0 up. The final 30 minutes saw United romp home.

21.04.00

Bury

4

0

Southampton

68,985

Southampton of the Southern
League had the great Jack Robinson in goal, but Bury overwhelmed them in the
final.

20.04.01

Tottenham Hotspur

2

2

Sheffield United

114,815

The replay took place at
Burnden Park, Bolton. The first match gave us the earliest known movie
footage of a Cup Final. Tottenham were
a Southern league side at the time.

19.04.02

Sheffield United

1

1

Southampton

76,914

26.04.02

Sheffield United

2

1

Southampton

33,068

The first match gave rise to
Willie Foulke’s legendary naked pursuit of the referee, Mr Kirkham.

18.04.03

Bury

6

0

Derby County

63,102

Bury have appeared in 2 Cup
Finals, winning both with a 5-0 average! Derby were actually favourites going
into the match, but the scoreline remains the biggest margin in an FA Cup
Final.

23.04.04

Manchester City

1

0

Bolton Wanderers

61,374

The first all- Lancashire Cup
Final, and Manchester City’s first major trophy win.

7 Scots for Newcastle this time
out- a goal from Sandy Young wins it for Everton.

20.04.07

The Wednesday

2

1

Everton

84,584

Everton failed to retain the
Cup- George Simpson’s winner coming in the 86th minute.

25.04.08

Wolverhampton Wanderers

3

1

Newcastle United

74,967

Further misery for The Magpies in
the final of the Aitches- Hunt, Headley, Howie and Harrison being the
goalscorers.

24.04.09

Manchester United

1

0

Bristol City

71,401

United’s first Cup win.

23.04.10

Newcastle United

1

1

Barnsley

77,747

A hard fought match in which Barnsley,
playing a physical game, enjoyed periods of dominance. The replay was at
Goodison. Newcastle winning 2-0.

22.04.11

Bradford City

0

0

Newcastle United

69,068

The replay was at old Trafford-
normal service was resumed for Newcastle- Jimmy Speirs getting City’s winner.

20.04.12

Barnsley

0

0

West Bromwich Albion

54,434

The 3rd drawn final
in succession. A disappointing match by all accounts. The replay was at
Bramall Lane, the only goal coming in the 118th minute as Harry
Tufnell won it for Barnsley.

19.04.13

Aston Villa

1

0

Sunderland

121,919

With the exception of the 1923
debacle this was the largest ever FA Cup Final attendance. Charlie Wallace
missed a penalty for Villa in a match noted for rough play. Villa played with
10m men for 10 minutes whilst their goalkeeper, Hardy received treatment. The
game was also marked by 10 minutes plus of added time.

25.04.14

Burnley

1

0

Liverpool

72,778

The King, George V, became the
first reigning monarch to attend a Cup Final.

Harry Rennie saved a penalty
from Ernest Needham early in the game.
Fred Blackburn opened the scoring, tapping in from an offside position
in the 36th minute. John Campbell equalised 3 minutes after the
break. On 75 minutes Bob Hamilton headed Scotland into the lead, but Bloomer
ran the length of the pitch to score an equaliser in the 80th.

George Wall scored both
England’s goals in the opening 10 minutes. Late in the game England ‘keeper
Sam Hardy saved a James Stark penalty.

04.03.11

England Amateurs

4

0

Belgium

4,000

A meagre crowd to watch one of
The Amateurs routine wins against continental opposition. Vivian Woodward inevitably scored, George
Webb of West Ham got 2 and Belgium contributed an own goal.

The stadium was developed in the area of the map enclosed in the rectangle.

When Surrey County Cricket Club withdrew The Oval from football service there was a call to establish a national centre at which to play internationals and the Cup Final. England, of course , had been playing internationals in the north and midlands since the 1880s.

25,000 watched the last final to be played at The Oval in 1892, and the next 2 finals were played at Fallowfield and Goodison respectively. Fallowfield was a disaster, with only 45,000 out of 60,000 plus spectators paying admission, and crowd encroachment interfering with play. 37,000 watched the Goodison final.

In order to secure the contract to host the Cup Final The Crystal Palace Company guaranteedthe FA a sum equal to the Final receipts from 1894 (£1189) plus a percentage of the gate money. The 1895 Final drew receipts of £1545.

The Crystal Palace , constructed in Hyde Park for the great exhibition of 1851, was relocated to Sydenham in 1854 .

In 1895 the football stadium was created in a natural basin in the Palace Park.

The change from The Oval was welcomed in most quarters- the popularity of the Final as a spectacle in the professional era having outgrown the cricket ground. The accommodation for spectators was limited by the playing area being in the cricket outfield. The cricket club were also concerned about damage to the turf.

In 1895 Wolverhampton petitioned the FA to switch the all midland final against Villa to a venue more convenient to supporters- they proposed Wolverhampton!

The Final was moved to Manchester as a wartime measure in 1915, and by the time the war was over Crystal Palace was no longer considered a suitable venue.